Kosuke Kinoshita
FabCafe Kyoto MTRL Marketing and Production
Kousuke Kinoshita has been the Manager of FabCafe MTRL Kyoto since it's open in 2017. MTRL ("Material") supports material co-creation and innovation at manufacturing companies while FabCafe Kyoto is a technology and innovation-centered place for gatering a diverse community of creators, researchers, and companies. Through the management of online/offline workshops and the production of exhibition projects, Kousuke aims to create a place where chemical reactions occur and implement a contextual design that connects things and concepts from diverse fields.
Judge’s selections
Virtuous-Circle-as-a-Service Prize
MATR
A circular economy mattress solution for hotels
MATR
This is a really appealing example of service design. It not only provides hotels with an affordable and sustainable solution to a waste disposal problem, it also offers significant benefits to hotel guests who can enjoy the comfort and reassurance of a mattress that is regularly replaced. I think the impact could be spread beyond Austria and Europe by creating a system that enables cooperation between local bedding manufacturers and the tourism industry, which would be more cost-effective from a logistical point of view.
Nuisance to Coexistence Prize
Bio-invasive Textile Library
Bio-invasive Lab Ltd/ Central Saint Martin-Ma Biodesign
The approach of coexisting with non-native plant species instead of eradicating them is something I found to be hugely refreshing. Rather than try to force the use of an invasive species in a particular product, the attitude here is to rethink these plants as unique resources and utilize them in that way. The result is a library of textile resources that can be accessed by designers and manufacturers. I can see the potential here for a wide range of applications.
Infrastructure-for-the-People Prize
Dodola
Pjorkkala
This is a product-driven solution to the right of access to water. First of all, I was impressed by how it approaches water filtration not only as a chemical process, but also as a design process using structural materials that are readily available locally and have a low environmental impact. I was also impressed by how the technology takes local culture and industry as a base to make life in the region more sustainable in future. This fusion of technology and craft is very exciting.
Data-Driven Collaboration Prize
MateRe
Digital Platform for Circular Economy
digglue inc.
While we all recognize the importance of traceability, the inability to easily measure and share the necessary data has often been a bottleneck in the realization of circular design and manufacturing. I have high expectations that this digital platform can help businesses overcome these issues. It also has the potential to go even further by creating data-driven collaboration opportunities beyond the existing supply chain framework.
Sustainable Devices Prize
CirculaRElectronics by VERTMONDE
VERTMONDE ECUADOR
Electronic devices have become a kind of personal infrastructure. Everyone should have the right to own an electronic device regardless of their location or economic circumstances. At the same time, we need to implement a circular system of product development, distribution and recycling in order to reduce e-waste and prevent the depletion of rare metals. This project also helped me realize, as someone who relies on other parts of the world to handle production and disposal of these resources, that we need to explore more ethical ways to collaborate.